Flamengo Officially Sign Ronaldinho – Transfer Saga Finally Ends!

Its’ all over! Flamengo have captured Ronaldinho and his €3M transfer from AC Milan was made official at 23:15 local time on Monday. Hard luck to Gremio (Ronaldinho’s childhood heroes), Corinthians and Palmeiras!

Flamengo Complete Transfer Of Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho’s contract at Flamengo is said to be a three-and-a-half year deal through which he will be receiving €130,000 per week. Reports say that Traffic and Olympikus (who are both investors) will be responsible for paying a part of the 30-year-old’s salary.

Last weekend, actually, AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani gave followers of the Ronaldinho transfer saga a clue concerning which of the 4 clubs in contention would most likely land the midfielder. At first, Gremio seemed to be winning the race but later on Flamengo always looked as the favourites to sign the former Ballon d'Or winner. In a short statement while talking to TV Globo, Galliani declared:

“I believe [that Ronaldinho] is 99.99% sure of joining Flamengo.”

On Monday afternoon, these claims were backed as reports from Lance explained that Ronaldinho and Flamengo had indeed reached a verbal agreement. A few hours later, all this info was finally confirmed through Flamengo’s official website – meaning that the efforts of Gremio, Palmeiras and Corinthians besides Pele’s criticism of the “greedy player” got crushed.

Patricia Amorim, president of the Rubro-Negro, commentated on Ronaldinho’s transfer from AC Milan to the Rio club. She stated during a press conference:

“We are delighted to announce the presence of Ronaldinho for the next 4 years. Flamengo had the grace to remain competitive and hard-working throughout negotiations.

“From this point onwards, we’ll only talk as “us” and not as “I”. Flamengo is just too big for one person to run things. I’d like to thank the legal department as well as [Wanderley] Luxemburgo. And, most of all, I’d like to thank the supporters of Flamengo.

“Every day, everywhere, there were people asking about Ronaldinho. This was the power behind our negotiations. This project began from the first day I arrived as president [in 2009].

“[By signing Ronaldinho] We’re not just bringing a player but also a challenge to all our professionals to improve. I thank the directors for their discretion and for their wisdom throughout the negotiations. That’s what I’ve been aiming for throughout my term here.

“Many people criticised [Ronaldinho’s agent and brother Roberto De Assis], but we understood the signals. He said, ‘it was AC Milan who would decide’.

“And, we went to Milan. There were hints that he may not have agreed terms with other clubs. It’s not that we feel better than any other team. But, in this process, we’ve been successful.

“We’ve had a difficult year, but we’re forming a solid base for this year. Fans can repay us for this by storming stadiums and by buying merchandise – that’s what we’re looking for in return.”

Flamengo Teammates Happy To Welcome Ronaldinho

Felipe and Leo Moura, who are now Ronaldinho’s new team mates at Flamengo, were ecstatic at the news. They celebrated this transfer saga victory by tweeting their emotions. Goalkeeper Felipe wrote on his Twitter account:

“It’s now official, R10 is in the Mengao!!!”

Meanwhile, 32-year-old captain and defender Leonardo Moura tweeted:

“Congratulations to the Rubro-Negro nation for this great conquest! Our club deserves to have the biggest stars! R10, welcome to the Mengoooo.”

Ronaldinho is expected to finish his football career on a high after enduring lows in his last moments at Barcelona and throughout his short spell at AC Milan. He will be formerly presented as a Flamengo player on Tuesday.